The Tome
by gamer4
Summary: As Raven investigates the murder of her own grandfather, she discovers a book that tells of her being the last in a long line of people destined to prevent the end of the world. Primarily Teen Titans, while crossing over with several different fandoms. Based on Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Rating subject to change.


Gamer4 in! Happy Halloween, everyone, and welcome to my newest story! I use the word 'New' loosely. Let me explain- many eons ago, (as in, last year,) I attempted to write a story based on my favorite survival horror game ever made (compared to the two others that I've ever played), _Eternal Darkness_! It was a very interesting opportunity for a story, as each level of the game features a different character in a different time period in a loosely-connected story! It was pretty much the horror equivalent of _Live A Live,_ and anyone who's read through my _Live Alive_ mini-series knows how much I like that game! As such, my story consisted of characters from several different fandoms getting caught up in the story, each chapter introducing a new character from a new fandom! I liked the idea... but it seemed to die off over a few months. Part of the reason, I think, is that the story didn't actually read much like a story- it was more like a glorified walkthrough of the game than anything. It has since been taken down, and, unfortunately, my reliable old computer deleted any files I had of it, only serving to discourage me even more. However, one year on, I have decided to give it another shot! This is this story's second chance, with a couple new fandoms, hopefully better writing, starting over from scratch! I mean, it's Halloween, I've lost any excuse I had to begin with. It is time, once more, for me to try my hand at horror- let us begin this story... with a quick jaunt into the world of Teen Titans. Hope you guys enjoy! Let us begin.

Disclaimer: Lots of things I'll have to disclaim throughout this story. Right off the bat, I don't own _Eternal Darkness, Teen Titans, Ace Attorney,_ or _Hellboy._ Fantastic game/tv series/game series/movies, though.

The Tome

Prologue

A Death in the Family (Raven's Story)

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest fear is fear of the unknown." Words spoken by no less an authority on fear than Howard Philip Lovecraft himself. Protegee of Edgar Allen Poe, and inspiration to Stephen King years later, and a rare individual to understand that the truly terrifying thing isn't what you can see, but what hides in that infinite void at the edge of your vision. Indeed, while humanity has discovered a great deal since they first began their evolution all those years ago, it is stunning just how much remains hidden within the darkness of our history. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse, humanity has so far remained ignorant of their own fragility, even as we strayed so close to the edge of destruction, time and again, for over two thousand years.

Through what some call divine providence and what others may define as simple, blind luck, humanity has survived, though death has come near repeatedly. The responsibility has fallen on many shoulders over the ages- poor, unassuming individuals who have, through luck of the draw, been taken into a world of shadow from which they may or may not return, all in the name of continuing humanity's existence. All while, deep beneath the earth, dark things plotted and schemed. What follows is not the story of any one individual, but the story of humanity at large, of their trials to survive over the years, and of a shaky, uncertain future towards which they now walk.

The story begins, as many stories seem to, on an island off the shore of Jump City, USA. Home to a large class of criminals held in check largely by the heroes that called that city home- the Teen Titans. It is with one of these titans that the story both begins and ends- Raven Roth, the enigmatic blue-haired half-demon. And this... is how it starts...

XXXX

Raven felt her body slam against the far wall, knocking the wind out of her. "Crap," she muttered to herself. "How-how did I get into this mess?"

She was currently slumping against the wall of a strange room. It seemed well taken care of, in that sterile hotel sort of way... except for the beds, the only furniture in the room. The mattresses had seemingly long been eaten away by moths, and the frames were brown from rust. The only light source was an increasingly dim bulb swinging above, and the only opening in the room was the door across from her- boarded up, naturally. Not that it would have helped- it was on the opposite end of the room, and standing between her and it was the real problem at hand- the four monstrous figures currently encroaching upon her. Lurching, moaning _things_ with features seemingly burned away, or simply worn away by time. Brimming with hostility, all of which was currently directed... at her.

Desperately, she raised a hand, attempting to channel her magic into one of the decrepit bedframes to use as a weapon, but, to her horror, it didn't budge an inch. No matter how much she struggled, her powers simply refused to work for her.

The largest creature, heavy set and carrying a faint blue glow, grabbed her by the front of her robes, lifting her up and tossing her across the room once more. She grunted as she made impact. She was on the point of giving up until she looked up at the wall and noticed something she hadn't before- mounted on the wall was a shotgun, already loaded and ready to go. It wouldn't have been her first choice- far from it- but she needed something to defend herself, and she didn't exactly have any other options. Desperately, she reached up and pulled the gun from its mount. Turning, she saw that the creatures were once more bearing down on her. As quick as she could, she raised the gun and fired at the bulky, blue one first. It stepped back, groaning, but then continued forward.

The smallest creature, emitting a similar green glow, seemed to be covering the most ground. Adjusting her aim, she fired point blank in this creature's face, blowing its head clean off. The rest of the body collapsed to the ground, motionless.

The other creatures, perhaps sensing that one of their number had fallen, grew more aggressive, but a second later, another one, glowing a faint red, had fallen, now sans head. Raven turned her attention to the blue creature, reaching out for her, and let off another shot at him. It hit him in his chest, and this time, he went flying back onto the ground, and did not rise again.

Finally, Raven turned her new weapon on the last creature, glowing faintly yellow. A final blast, and Raven found herself alone in the room.

Tentatively, she stepped forward, not dropping her weapon. Though she was now safe, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. As she approached the figures, she suddenly realized what it was. "No!"

She darted forward, examining the bodies of the creatures closer. The largest, the one glowing blue... she knew this creature... but it couldn't be...

"Cy- Cyborg?" she choked out.

Stunned, she turned her attention on the other creatures, one by one. The short, green one- Beastboy. The red one- Robin. The slender, yellow creature bore an unmistakable resemblance to her final friend, Starfire.

"No..." she spoke quietly. "No... no!"

She threw the gun down to the ground and turned on the door. It was still boarded up, but she didn't care- she had to get out of this room, now. She reached out for the boards, attempting to send some magic its way, to move it, but it remained stubbornly still.

"No! Let me out! Let me out of here!" she cried, trying to force the board away with her bare hands. "Get me out!"

Abruptly, she fell silent. There was someone else out there- another voice. But far from anything comforting, it was crying out apparent gibberish. "These fools cast away their last hopes by trapping me here! May the rats eat your eyes, you fools- your death is coming! The death- the death, and the darkness!"

Raven stepped back from the door, looking around the room for any other means of egress. She only stopped when her eyes fell on yet another apparition within the room- an old man with a thin moustache and beard. His hair bore an appearance as though he'd long since stopped caring about it, but his clothing seemed to be much better taken care of as he stepped gingerly across the room towards her. Raven froze, helpless to do anything but watch as he raised a hand to her cheek. "Remember me, Raven?" he asked, his voice as gentle as his touch.

XXXX

December 17, 2012

Titans Tower, Jump City

Raven's eyes flew open as she sat bolt upright in her bed. Looking around wildly, she slowly lay back down, giving her heart rate a chance to return to normal. Casting an eye around the room, she scoffed slightly at the undeniably creepy decorations that met her eyes. "I really _do_ need to consider redecorating," she muttered, climbing out of her bed and rising to her feet.

Moving slowly, she crossed the room and pulled the curtains back from her windows, allowing the light of the rising sun to flood into the room. Unfortunately, it only brightened her spirits very nominally, so she instead headed to her closet, donned her traditional blue robe, and headed out into the main tower.

Down the hall and into the living room/kitchen, where she began preparing her old breakfast standby of tea. As she waited for the water to boil, she gazed out the window on the sun creeping steadily over the horizon, ready to bathe the city in light.

The truth was, she'd had this dream before. For the past several nights, she'd found herself tossing and turning, awakening in different locales, surrounded by those creatures of nightmare. Often, there was another person nearby, someone she felt she should recognize but simply couldn't place, crying out for help- a woman in heavy blue clothing similar-colored hair, a man in a red coat, a boy in a white shirt and black pants... and, in the end, that old man would always appear...

Not just any old man, of course. She knew who he was- he was the one thing in her dream that always remained constant, always at her side, ready to offer his assistance, because she could hardly imagine him any other way...

As the sun continued its daily climb, the other titans began to filter into the room. Robin and Starfire, helping themselves to their own breakfast, Cyborg, getting ready for his monumental barbecue of a breakfast, over the protests of Beastboy, the final member of the team. Internally, a smile crossed Raven's face- it was so normal that she couldn't help but be calmed at the sight.

Steadily, the usual morning routine kicked in, Beastboy and Cyborg monopolizing the tv for video games, Robin and Starfire alternately cheering them on and stepping in to break up fights where necessary, and Raven sitting off to the side, casually reading a book. Things only changed when the phone rang, and Robin rose to his feet. "Just a second, I'll get it!" he smiled at them, heading over to said phone and picking it up. A few words later, he returned and handed the phone to Raven. "It's for you," he said.

Almost as one, everyone else stopped and turned to look at the phone Robin was holding out to her. Raven was confused herself- the only people she knew outside the titans were back in her home dimension of Azarath, and thus unlikely to contact her over the phone. So, who could this be? Nevertheless, she steadily reached out and accepted it. Standing, she stood away from the others. "Hello?"

"Hello," responded the voice at the other end of the line, speaking with a heavy accent. "Is this Ms. Raven Roth I'm speakin' to, pal?"

"Yeah, that's me," Raven confirmed, one eyebrow rising. "And... can I ask who this is?"

"Of course," the voice responded. "This is Detective Dick Gumshoe- I'm with the RIPD."

"'RIPD?" Raven repeated.

"Rhode Island Police Department," 'Gumshoe' clarified. "We've got a... well, a _situation_ over here, and we could use your help."

Raven blinked. "Me? As in, me specifically? Not the Titans in general?"

"The titans?" Gumshoe repeated. "Oh- you guys over there in Jump City? Well, I guess you can all come if you want, but we only really need you, pal. You could call it a... er- family emergency."

"What kind of emergency?" Raven asked, her patience starting to dwindle. "What's going on?"

"We think there's been an accident... with your... well, with your grandfather," Gumshoe finally forced out, sounding as if the words were painful even to him. "We just need your help to... to clear up a few things..."

For a long moment, Raven remained silent, staring at the phone. Of course. Now it made sense. Rhode Island, family emergency... but what had happened? "Alright," she finally answered. "I'll be there tomorrow."

"Thanks, pal," Gumshoe said. "We'll be at Roth Manor when you get here."

"See you there," Raven nodded. "Goodbye."

Finally, she hung up, and slowly turned to the inquisitive faces behind her. "I... I need to go," she explained quickly. "I need to be in Rhode Island tomorrow."

"Say what?" Cyborg asked, his eyebrow rising up. "What's going on over there?"

"Nothing world-threatening," Raven assured him. "Just... there's apparently been an accident over there, so they want me-"

"Then we shall go with you!" Starfire immediately interjected, stepping forward.

"No, no, it's fine, like I said, it's nothing big, it's more of a... personal matter," Raven elaborated. "It's my... well..." Bracing herself, she sighed and just came out with it. "It's my grandfather, Trevor Bruttenholm."

Looking around, she saw exactly the surprised looks she'd expected this sentence to elicit.

XXXX

The next day, Raven was on a plane heading towards Rhode Island. But, at Robin's insistence, she wasn't alone.

"So, who _is_ this grandpa of yours?" Beastboy asked eagerly as they took their seats next to each other.

"The better question is, why did you have to be the one to come with me, of all people?" Raven muttered.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that!" Beastboy objected. "Robin wanted to stay back in the city with Star, you know what he's like about that."

"True enough, but what about Cyborg?" Raven pointed out.

"Cyborg- well, Cyborg has his own things that he's dealing with!" Beastboy shrugged.

Raven sighed, but accepted it nonetheless. "Alright, whatever," she muttered. "When we get there, we'll head to the hotel, and then run out to the mansion. We'll see what they want, then it's right back home, okay?"

"Sure," Beastboy shrugged. "But in the meantime, we've got a long flight ahead of us, so..."

"Don't say it," Raven cut him off, speaking threateningly.

"Oh, come on, Rae, why not tell me a bit about him? You're always so mysterious- we didn't even realize you had a grandpa on Earth! Who is he? What's he like?"

Raven turned away from the green changeling and gazed out the window for a long while. For a moment, Beastboy thought she was simply ignoring him, until she abruptly said, "His name is Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, and he's one of the best men I've ever met."

"Oh!" Beastboy perked up at this unexpected opening-up. "So, he teaches at a college?"

"Yeah- he teaches psychology," Raven confirmed. "After I left Azarath, he was the one who basically raised me on Earth, before I came to Jump City. He's the closest thing I've ever had to a real father."

"What was it like, living with him?" Beastboy asked- he didn't know if he was pushing his luck, but Raven opening up wasn't something that happened often, and he was determined to use the opportunity as it arose.

"At the time, the best years of my life," Raven acknowledged. "He knew what it was like to be an outsider. The name 'Roth' was always more or less taboo over in Rhode Island."

"Really?" Beastboy asked, blinking. "I thought... I thought it was just you, because of the whole... you know..."

Raven spoke quickly, making it clear she wasn't interested in following that particular thought either. "It started with one of my ancestors who moved to Rhode Island. Everyone thought he was a normal person, just a bit quiet and reserved... until one day, when he murdered the entire household in cold blood."

"What?" Beastboy gasped, eyes widening.

"Yeah," Raven confirmed. "He was arrested, and committed to an asylum for the rest of his life. I think that history is what drew Trigon to my family in the first place. Rhode Island was always suspicious of my family- it wasn't until my grandfather that the Roths started to gain any respect there. Even then, he had to change his name to get away from the prejudice- hence 'Bruttenholm.'"

"So he's a good guy?"

"Yeah," Raven nodded. "Yeah, he was a good guy. He took care of me and raised me like I was his own daughter. And now..."

Silence fell once more. Raven didn't speak for the rest of the trip, and, for a change, Beastboy didn't really feel like breaking the silence either.

XXXX

December 18, 2012

Roth Manor, Rhode Island

Roth Manor, as it turned out, was an opposing-looking building, standing tall and grandiose on a hill at the outskirts of town. As Raven and Beastboy approached it, it seemed like this building would be the perfect site for an isolated haunted-house feeling... except for the crowd of policemen swarming the building. Raven turned her attention to one of them in particular- a behemoth of a man with a scruffy beard, a large overcoat, and a small bandage on his forehead. "Hello?" she caught his attention. "I'm looking for Detective Dick Gumshoe..."

The man turned towards her and grinned. "Well, you came to the right place," he said, offering his hand to her. "Detective Dick Gumshoe, at your service."

Sure enough, Raven recognized the voice. Tentatively, she accepted the hand and shook it. "And who's your friend?" Gumshoe asked, turning his attention to Beastboy.

"Hi, I'm Beastboy. I'm with the Titans, too," Beastboy grinned as he shook the larger man's hand as well.

"Nice to meet you," Gumshoe grinned. "Hope the flight in was comfortable?"

"As comfortable as it could be, considering..." Raven interjected.

Gumshoe's face immediately underwent a startling transformation, going from bright and cheery to something more like a kicked puppy. "Oh, right. Sorry about that, pal. Too bad we couldn't meet in happier times..."

"Story of our lives," Raven interjected once more, her patience draining quickly. "Whatever you need, can we just take care of it already?"

"Of course, pal," Gumshoe nodded weakly as he turned towards the mansion. "Right this way..."

He led them up the manor's lawn and into the building itself. There were several doors in the foyer, but he led them through the one on the far right, which took them into a library, where several fancy shelves were loaded with books. Beastboy spent the whole walk 'Oohing' and 'aahing' until they reached a corner, where Gumshoe held up a hand to halt them. "Just wanna warn you two first... it's... it's not a pretty sight."

Raven braced herself before rounding the corner... and it still wasn't enough.

Around the corner was the study, and in the study was a pool of blood, in the center of which was a huddled mass of flesh. Beastboy winced when his eyes fell on it, and he couldn't even imagine what Raven was feeling. Looking at her face, he could tell she was struggling to keep her emotions under control. Her eyes showed a fierce mixture of anguish and fury.

"Is... is that your grandfather?" Gumshoe asked timidly.

Raven reluctantly moved forward and examined the body closer. "Yes," she finally spoke. Despite the conflicting emotions in her eyes, her voice was roughly steady. "Yes, that's him." Turning to face Gumshoe, she asked, "Who did this?"

"Well, that's the thing," Gumshoe shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "We have no idea who did this. We don't have anything to go on- we couldn't even be sure who he was until we called you! Kind of hard to check dental records when-" he brought himself up short, gulped, and finished with, "when there's... no head..."

Raven's fists clenched and tightened hard enough to draw blood. Gumshoe continued. "None of this makes any sense- no sign of forced entry, and as far as we could tell, the old guy didn't have any enemies. We've got nothing to go on- I've never seen anything like this."

"Okay," Raven muttered. "Alright... in that case, you can all clear out."

"What?" Gumshoe and Beastboy spoke in unison.

"Whatd'ya mean, lady?" Gumshoe asked, shocked.

"If you can't find any answers, then I'll investigate for myself," Raven spoke coldly and clearly. "I'll come back tomorrow, and if you haven't found anything yet, I'll take over the investigation for you. I want answers- whoever did this, I _will_ bring them to justice, and I'm not leaving until I do!"

Beastboy blinked- this was the most emotional he'd ever seen the blue-haired empath. Gumshoe, meanwhile, kept his eyes firmly on the floor as he answered. "Alright. The truth is, I want answers, too... I wish I had some to give you."

XXXX

"Wow, that was harsh, Rae," Beastboy noted as they returned to the hotel they were staying at. "I mean, come on, they're only doing their job."

"I don't care," Raven affirmed. "Like I said, I want whoever did this brought to justice. I'm going back tomorrow to investigate. And..." Here, she paused briefly before continuing. "And I'd rather you didn't come."

"What?" Beastboy asked. "Why not?"

"This is personal. Someone just killed the person most important to me in the world- I'm going to track them down, and I'm going to do it alone."

Beastboy's eyes fell to the ground. "The most important person...?"

Raven turned to look at him. "I- I didn't mean it like that. Of course the Titans are important to me, but he's the only real father figure I've ever had- the only person who really raised me. This is something... this is something I _have_ to do alone."

Beastboy gave a faint smile and a wan nod. "Okay, Rae... if you say so."

XXXX

December 19, 2012

Roth Manor, Rhode Island

Nevertheless, Raven wasn't quite at her most confident as she returned to the manor that night. As she crossed the lawn, she noticed that, sure enough, most of the police had cleared out. In fact, the only one still there was Gumshoe. "Hey, Raven," he addressed her as he approached. "Well, we've pulled out, like you said. I'm just staying behind to wish you luck, and to pass on a couple things. Here you go..."

As he spoke, he produced a small key ring from his pocket, complete with two keys. Raven reached up to accept them. "Thanks."

"Of course," Gumshoe responded with a faint smile. "This gold one here is for the front door, and the silver one's for the upper floor- we locked up until you came."

"Thank you. You can head out, now. I'll handle the rest from here."

"Alright," Gumshoe smiled. "Take care of yourself."

Raven watched him go, then turned back to the mansion, approaching the door, unlocking it, and entering.

The inside felt incredibly empty after seeing it crowded with policemen earlier. For a moment, she paused. It was years since she'd walked around this house, and she found herself overcome by a brief wave of nostalgia. Eventually, she shook it off and moved forward into the foyer. She had to start somewhere...

First off, her attention was drawn by a carriage clock set on a table between two staircases leading up. She didn't know why, but something about it seemed... off. As she examined it closer, she realized what it was- it was just a block of wood with a clock painted on. Strange, she didn't recall anything like this...

Looking at the back, she saw a key wedged in the wood. It was almost like a joke- it was exactly where a key would be placed on a normal clock to wind it up, but in this clock's current state, it was just a key stuck in a block of wood. Looking it over, it wasn't even a 'wind-up' key- it looked more like the key to an old-fashioned dresser or chest of drawers. Well, it certainly couldn't hurt... she grabbed the key and wrenched it out of the wood.

All very interesting, but it did nothing to help her find out what had happened to her grandfather. Well, if she was going to start her investigation anywhere, it might as well be at the scene of the crime. She turned towards the door leading to the library and stepped through.

As she passed through the library, she found herself sidetracked once more, this time by a door that she didn't recall existing when she'd lived here with her grandfather. Overcome by curiosity, she opened it up to find what appeared to be an observatory of some kind- at the very least, it contained a large telescope. Also nearby was a globe that had been bolted to the floor, and several strange contraptions with mirrors at the center. It seemed to be one large device, but what its purpose was, or how it would be used, she couldn't begin to say.

Shaking her head, she turned back to the library, making her way through to the study. The police had, at the very least, done a good job of cleaning up- there was no longer a trace of the body that had been here just yesterday. With it out of the way, Raven was free to examine the rest of the room, and the first thing she noticed... was the books. While she had never been certain what kind of reading material would appeal most to her grandfather, it threw her off slightly to see that most of the books were of the ilk of Edgar Allen Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, and similar books. While she, of course, wasn't one to criticize anyone's fascination with the macabre (she could easily recite the opening to _Call of Cthulhu_ off the top of her head,) she still couldn't help but be surprised that this was seemingly what her grandfather had shown the most interest in right before the end.

The next thing she noticed was a portrait hung up over her grandfather's desk. She didn't recognize the style, but the picture was pretty simple- it was of a young woman with blue hair that fell around her shoulders. A small smile adorned her face, but there was something sad in it, too, as she gazed at something outside the frame. Her clothing seemed like she was dressed for winter, and all colored a deep blue to match her hair.

Finally, her attention was drawn to a grandfather clock erected next to the portrait. Once again, this clock called to her, for reasons even she couldn't say. The hands were set to the classic clock position of 10:10, but she couldn't help feel that that was incorrect. It had been almost midnight when she'd left for the manor, it was hard telling what time it was now.

Unbidden, a voice met her ears- a chilling voice that sent shivers down her spine. "Three... thirty-three..."

Raven spun around, looking for the person who'd spoke... but as far as she could tell, she was still alone. Turning back to the clock, she had to wonder...

Reaching out, she used her magic to prompt some change in the clock's hands, turning them to 3:33. The moment she did, there was a clicking noise, and she turned around just in time to witness a nearby bookshelf sliding out of the way to reveal a darkened passage behind it.

"A secret passage?" Raven spoke aloud to herself, a very slight smile crossing her face. "Okay, grandpa, I'll bite... what's this about?"

Turning her back on the study, she entered the hidden hallway and followed it through to the end, where another door barred her path. Reaching out, she turned the knob and revealed the room that Professor Bruttenholm seemed to have been keen on keeping from the rest of the world.

She couldn't help but gasp as the insides of the room met her eyes. While most of the rest of the manor was well-maintained, this room was a mess, cluttered with all kinds of eclectic junk. A large, eastern-style mask was propped against one wall, a large crate nearby supported a large sword of some kind, a chest of drawers had been pressed into one corner, with no visible keyhole, but supporting a series of candles...

Casting her eyes around the room, Raven thought she could spend hours looking at the various pictures alone. Some were relatively normal, such as a portrait of a church, while others were less so, such as the portrait of some ancient, cyclopean city that looked like something directly out of Lovecraft. The most disturbing image, though, was of a large tower, hung in the corner furthest from the door. It seemed ordinary enough at first, but, upon closer inspection, primary material used in the tower's construction wasn't stone, cement, or anything like it- but people. Cement, or something like it, was present, but only to bind together what was essentially a tower of corpses. Even Raven, fan of the macabre that she was, shuddered and was inwardly thankful it was just a sketch.

Next to the picture of the church was another frame, but instead of a picture, it held what seemed to be a page of text ripped directly out of an aged book. Examining it closer, she found she couldn't read a single word written on it, which left nothing to do but to turn to the elephant in the room- the desk in the center of all the clutter.

Like everything else, the desk was groaning beneath the weight of several objects and artifacts that she couldn't identify, but the most prominent among them was a book, bound in leather and colored a dark, blood red. It was buckled shut, and imprinted on the buckle was a strange symbol- several twisting lines, all spreading out from the same point. Laying on top of the book was an envelope with a red wax seal. Curiously, Raven lifted it up, only to immediately drop it, as though it had suddenly turned into a large, ugly spider.

The wax seal had a symbol as well, but unlike the seal on the book's buckle, she recognized this one- a spiky, stylized S with dots placed within the curves, forming the sigil she had come to dread- the Mark of Scath, the symbol of her wretched, demonic father.

"Why... why is this here?" she couldn't help asking out loud. Reluctantly, she extended her hand and picked up the envelope gingerly. Well, only one way to find out...

She broke the seal and opened up the envelope, revealing a letter within. She easily recognized the handwriting as belonging to her grandfather. Was there something here that could help solve the mystery? Well, she was about to find out...

XXXX

 _To whoever discovers this book..._

 _Flesh, blood, and bone, bound together through the oddest of magickal incantations. This book is where it all began, eons ago, before light, before life, before time itself. My name is Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, and it grieves me to say that if you are reading this right now, then I am most likely dead. What you hold here is the summation of many lives' work. Not my story, not the story of my family, but the story of us all. If you are to proceed any further, you must first understand the following- for two thousand years, the world has been on the brink of destruction, reliant on the efforts of a select few to keep it from slipping into eternal darkness. You don't have to like this- you don't even have to believe it. It's all your decision. However, your beliefs will not change reality- only color your perceptions thereof._

 _Deep beneath us, in the catacombs of Kul Elna, the guardians are beginning to stir. They sense their time coming once more. I fear that if they wake, they will come for my granddaughter, Raven Roth, the last of my bloodline, and the one that I hope will cast the light of humanity into the future. My only wish in the event of my death is that this book be delivered to her, for only she can truly understand what lies within._

 _With all the best wishes, Trevor Bruttenholm._

XXXX

"Grandpa, what happened?" Raven found herself wondering out loud. What was all this about? Had her grandfather been in the process of losing his sanity before he died?

Casting her eyes to the book, she decided there was only one way to get any more answers. Being careful with what appeared to be a very old volume indeed, she undid the buckle. The moment she did, she jolted backwards a series of images entered her mind...

Deep beneath the ground, a mass of twisted, red flesh... out in the desert, a stone tower rising above the ground... in the bowels of the earth, a large creature, a worm of some sort, extending out of an abyss and lunging towards her...

Finally, it stopped, and Raven was left to eye the book more warily than before. The page in front of her seemed to be written in another language, one she couldn't even identify, much less translate... but then something strange happened. The letters didn't undergo any physical transformation, they seemed much the same as they ever were... and yet she found herself fully able to understand them. At the top of the first page was a heading- _The Chosen One-_ followed by what seemed to be a quick preface.

 _I had no knowledge of what was to come, and I wouldn't have cared if I did. I gained a great deal of knowledge that day, at a great cost- it changed me. Perhaps it will change you, as well..._

 _I look back now on the days before, the days when I was blinded by the veil that so much of humanity lives under. It seems strange to me, now, recalling the days I couldn't see past it, see the creatures that lay beyond... I was such a fool..._

Raven blinked. The handwriting wasn't Bruttenholm's- even if she'd believed to begin with that he knew this language- so what _was_ this? She felt she'd stumbled onto yet another mystery, and there was only one way she was going to solve it...

So onward she read.

 _XXXX_

Happy Halloween, again! Yeah, I know, it's technically All Soul's Day now, but whatever. Hopefully, you guys enjoyed the revised version of this chapter! Next time, we'll delve a little further into this whole mystery in _The Chosen One!_ Hope to see all you guys there!

A brief word about reviewing- as a general rule, I'm not one of those authors that demands reviews before posting new chapters, but I _will_ say that reviews give me more inspiration to write! Also, it's reviews that let me know what I could be doing better, and help me get a better story written for you guys, the readers! Just something to keep in mind as you kindly... please R&R, constructive criticism embraced, flames, not so much, Gamer4 out!


End file.
